Our ego is our sense of self-esteem or self-importance. While some people struggle to have enough self-esteem, others need to worry about keeping their ego in line. It is easy to get an inflated ego when we begin to succeed in life, do well in activities, and accomplish hard-to-reach goals. You did a great job working through treatment and getting sober.
Living a sober life can be challenging, and if you are succeeding at it, your ego or sense of self-esteem may increase. It is an amazing accomplishment to stay sober and work through your triggers successfully. You should absolutely be proud of your success. Keeping your ego in check can sometimes be difficult. Here are a few ways and tips to keep your ego in check as you maintain a sober lifestyle and continue on a long-term recovery plan.
Remember the People Who Helped You
When you decided you needed help to face an addiction and work on your mental health, you probably had a solid support group around you. If you did not have a support group of peers at the outset, you probably worked hard to connect with others and form a sense of connection and community. Now that you are leading a successful and healthy lifestyle, remember who was there to support you along the way.
Whether it was family, friends, or mental health professionals, you had people to lean on during those challenging and dark days. Therapy is definitely not always fun and can bring up painful memories or trauma from the past. Keep your ego in check by remembering those days and the support that you needed. Give back by supporting other people through their challenges and their successes. Everyone needs a cheerleader, and if you are doing well, it may be the right time to cheer on others.
Build True Friendships
Continuing to build healthy friendships and connections continues to be important even years after reaching sobriety. We all need to feel accepted and liked. Building friendships can help us stay humble and on the right path. When our friendships are more than just surface deep, our friends can help us keep our ego in check and remind us if we begin to let it get out of control.
Relying on our friends is a very natural thing. There is nothing wrong with admitting that you need that support. Even years after you reach sobriety, temptation and dark days will still come. Remain vigilant and always keep your support network within reach. Unexpected events happen, such as the global pandemic that everyone is still learning to work and live through. Unexpected situations can easily impact health. Staying humble and surrounded by support will help you when intense and unexpected situations occur.
Continue to Set Higher Goals
It is hard to have an inflated ego if you have not actually reached your goals. Continue to set higher and higher goals and continue to work towards them. Never stop striving to better your life, relationships, and knowledge. You will thank yourself years later as you realize how far you have come in your recovery journey.
Few people reach their goals and then no longer have anything left to achieve. Talk with your loved ones and focus on your life. There is always something to improve upon or learn, or maybe you have a skill that could benefit other people. Open up and help others. Watching other people succeed with your support is a great feeling. You needed support to start your journey, and it is an amazing feeling to help others on their journey as well. For some, this could be helping someone begin their journey of sobriety. For others, it could be an activity or skill. Maybe you excel at soccer or knitting, and you can pass those skills onto someone wanting to learn.
Success Is Not Permanent
Everyone faces moments in life where we become complacent. We stop reaching forward and begin to glide. While this is not always a bad thing, at other times, this could be dangerous for our sobriety and mental health. Success is not permanent, and that is simply the harsh truth.
You worked extremely hard to get sober. You worked through your mental health issues and your trauma. Those achievements can make our egos swell because of how hard those things are to do. While you should be proud of yourself, remember the work is not done. You will still face temptation and triggers. Continue to acknowledge your mental health issues and strive towards a healthy and successful life.
The ego is a complex and powerful aspect of our personalities. It is important to have strong self-esteem. We need self-esteem to journey through life courageously. Strong self-esteem can help us make new friends and connections, try new activities, or take big steps in working through mental health challenges. However, having too large of an ego can be dangerous to our sobriety and success. Inflated egos may make us relax our boundaries, become lax on receiving support, or unmotivated to strive further in life. Learning to manage our ego is important. Continue to show support to others and receive the support around you. Here at The Guest House, we know everyone’s recovery journey looks different. Everyone faces different challenges and reaches for different goals. We are ready to help you wherever you are in your recovery journey. Call us today at (855) 483-7800 to learn more about our different treatment options.